Lampard’s brilliant end of season form at the hub of Chelsea’s Champions League heroics suggested the Blues midfielder would get the chance to banish his World Cup ghosts, with Steven Gerrard pushed into a more advanced role.

Like the rest of the Chelsea stars given a week off to recover from their exertions, Lampard joins up with England at their Hertfordhsire base tomorrow.

Best in Europe: John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba pose with the Champions League trophy (Image: Getty)

But as Hodgson revealed he plans to create a team shape which will allow a seamless transition when Wayne Rooney completes his two-match ban, Lampard is set to find himself out of the starting team, with Gerrard and Parker identified as the starting axis.

Hodgson, who said he does not expect to be judged on what happens in Poland and Ukraine next month - said: “I think we are looking at two strikers against France, whether or not you call Ashley Young a striker or a midfield player.

“The way forward with England is going to be that way because we have Rooney. Of course we don’t have him for the first two games and might end up regretting that fact but it’s a temporary thing. There’s a lot of football to be played after the Euros."

Problem solved: It looks like Steven Gerrard will get the nod ahead of Frank Lampard (Image: Getty)

“When you have a player like Rooney, who is excellent in that position, and a player like Young who is showing signs of being very good in that position it would be seem a bit strange if you just went to one lone forward.”

That signposted skipper Gerrard alongside the more defensively-minded Parker, leaving Lampard the outsider of the three remaining central midfielders following the likely sad end of Gareth Barry’s Euro 2012 hopes.

Hodgson added: “We all know Rooney is best in that “number 10” position. The fact that he is such a good player, and can play in other positions, that’s another matter.

“In my conversations with him and all the games I’ve watched him play, I think he’s extremely dangerous when he plays as a second striker off another striker. Young did the same job for me.

“But I do not fear I’m running out of time to get what I want. I am looking beyond the Euros.

“I signed a contract to do this job over the coming years, so I have my sights firmly fixed on the future.

“Yes, I also want to do well in the Euros with the team and I will try to get the team as well-organized and well-prepared as I can. But I am not prepared to make the Euros the be-all and end-all in terms of the way I want to hopefully make a mark on the team and hopefully play in the future.”